A Twitch of Love
by nyahchatnoir
Summary: It has been many months since Nick and Judy's first case together, and the pair are still going strong. However, Nick seriously needs a break. How about a short vacation then? Well, that is easier said than done. Especially when you are traveling to your best friend/kind of crush's hometown to meet her parents- Yikes! Misunderstandings, fluff, and blueberries! Judy/Nick centric.
1. Late-night Decisions

**Hey guys! So, basically this is just a fic for me to get out all of my Wildehopps frustrations, because the pairing is just way too adorable. Zootopia was such an amazing movie, so of course I had to write something for it. Anyway, I own absolutely nothing except the clothes on my back. I also have a Zootopia blog if anyone is interested in seeing it which can be found at (bunnytopia)(.tumblr).com. Just take out the parenthesis. I hope that you guys enjoy!**

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At the moment, the female was off duty, which meant she was currently chilling in the soft coolness of her minuscule apartment. While she read, the girl's mind was on other things, as she mentally reveled in the ever-familiar comfort of her homey yet tiny living area. It was nice to just laze around after a lengthy and tiring day of panicked car chases and near death experiences. There certainly was an amount of risk that came along with her profession, but Officer Hopps was fine with that. The rabbit understood the consequences and strife which came alongside working in such a dangerous profession. Still, in the pretty vastness of those wide sparkly purple gems, the girl saw what she wanted to. She adamantly believed that the people she protected were more important than her own life.

Nevertheless, it sometimes floored and even quietened the exuberantly reckless cottontail that there was _one_ person who firmly disagreed with her. A creature who was utterly determined to rebuff any and all of her objections, including the bunny's more sensible ones, for they loved to achieve a reaction from her. The individual loved to watch her get angry. It thrilled him, but not because of her irritation. No, what got to him was the sudden fluttering he would get in his chest when she let her brows narrow in pointed annoyance. How her ears would jolt forward. How her nose would crinkle along with the upturn of her screwing expression.

Oh, yes. Nick Wilde believed the happy-go-lucky bunny to be _absolutely_ adorable when she got angry. Not to mention, oh so emotional.

However, the fox was not out to disgruntle her currently. Simply, the male was indolently slumped flat upon the weight of a bed no more than three feet away from her. Unknown to her, the artful fox was discreetly sneaking glances in her direction. The mammal almost felt like laughing, as the dramatic expressions abruptly appeared on her face and mildly captivated him; the beautiful hilarity of it all was what forced the hoodwink's attention to waver subconsciously from the screen of his phone.

The two of them were resting in her minuscule apartment after an especially brutal work day. He was her first and only partner; the one person who she would never – could never – replace. The were a crime fighting duo. It was around ten at night, and the tired police officers were both reclining out on the inside of Judy's almost too small apartment, just being in one another's presence. They really had no one else to be with in the large city of Zootopia, granted they did not care to be. The pair of intelligent crime fighters was perfectly content with having only one friend simply because they were each other's _best_ _friend_. Therefore, they were never truly alone. Even in Zootopia, one of the largest cities in the world, a city jam-packed with immensely dizzying skyscrapers, towns of specific climates, and animals of all sorts, when there was **so much** around you, an unsettling sense of not belonging could still set in. The dreary back and forth musings while feeling lost among a sea of alien mammals. The thought that you were just a tiny speck in comparison to a much grander world could indeed be disheartening, and it sometimes managed to lead the bunny into a slightly darker thought process. Where her eyes would eventually glisten over and begin to stare vacantly at whatever was standing before her…

However… Officer Judy did not have to worry about that anymore. Thankfully, much to the bunny's appreciative happiness, those thoughts which plagued her were seeming to occur less and less. It was becoming hard to feel lost when you were never really alone. When there was someone who cared about you living only a phone call away, why would you need to stress the matter? A friend who lived within a couple miles driving distance, because their apartment was just a short, easy twenty-minute stroll down the road. A person who loved to specifically come over on their own accord, completely out of the way, if _only_ to purely see you again. How could she feel lonely when there was always a certain someone knocking on her door? Not to mention the fact that the aforementioned person was an exuberant, hilarious and dorky being who loved to tease and simply spend his time whiling the hours away with you. The idea of it all would immediately send a direct warmth to her heart. The feeling was wonderful, and it would make her family seem not as far away as they used to be. He was the one who helped her through everything. He held her when she was said, and his relaxed laughter brightened her days. He was the rabbit's rock. It was a fact that as long as the duo had one another, there was nothing they could not do.

"You know what we need?"

The knowing voice of an easily identifiable fox entered Judy Hopp's lofty ears. She paused, queerly looking up from the book she was currently reading at a tiny metal table with an ancient desk lamp lighting the book's writing for her. She blinked. The bunny sniffed interestedly at the air but tilted her head a bit in confusion, turning to look towards the voice.

Instantly, Judy grinned. The beaming rabbit moved to rest her hands on the back of her swivel chair and rested her head there. She sent her bucktoothed leer over to the worn-out form of the crafty fox – her best friend and partner of nine months, the girl could not help but mentally cheer – and he allowed a thin, somewhat pained chuckle. The male was laid out atop the form of her faintly hard and rickety springs; a fact he deplored. The female rose a brow in amusement, for the hazily rough fox had a known tendency for making cantankerous remarks about how uncomfortable her bed was. It was a bit annoying but oddly sweet that the male continued to lay on it anyway. Still, the fox hated the feel of its mainsprings, how the metal dug into his back and how it seemed to creek with every movement. He had even went so far as to offer to buy her a new one on many occasions; although, the bunny would always toothily decline. The older mammal claimed that it hurt his back. Dumb crybaby fox. For Judy, the bed was perfectly fine, and considering the fact that her kind used to live in the ground thousands of years ago, the compliance was a hidden capability within her DNA to be able to live in slightly harsher conditions, just one of the multiple reasons why her parents were farmers. Not to mention the itty bitty detail that foxes _also_ used to be able to live in the ground as well, but perhaps Nick was too _good_ for anything that. Too pampered. The decrepit bed was only there to get the job done. For her to sleep on, and not to _specifically_ cater to her best predator friend. He was ridiculous.

Besides, Judy did _not_ feel like spending any of her hard-earned funds on a new mattress. She had better things she could spend it on. Maybe a new dress or shoes. A large sun hat for the summer months rapidly approaching. No, wait. The short bunny would look completely out of place in the big city wearing only that; just a cute country bumpkin. Ugh.

Flicking his eyes downward, Nick moved his gaze away from her. He did not want Judy to accidentally catch his wavering stare. With his red-furred arm hanging high above him, the fox put on an uninterested air. Instantly, she frowned. The male smirked inwardly, and he continued to scroll through his various forms of social media, mutely pretending to be busy. He went through all of his favorites – tumblrmonkies, twitterbird, hentrest – while reveling in the female's steadily growing impatience. He allowed a soft, carefree hum. Finally, he let a visibly sharp gleam enter his tired orbs.

Judy stared. Her anger abruptly vanished, turning into clear confusion. The disordered bunny bat an eyelid, as Nick gave the petite prey a curled, mischievous smirk of his muzzle. She chewed at the inside of her cheek, as the friends' eyes met.

"What we need," the fox furtively drawled, staring suggestively into her wide orbs, "is a well-earned vacation. What do you think, cottontail?"

As soon as the idea was mentioned, Judy started to shake from a fit of wracking giggles.

"Y-You want to," the rabbit struggled out, "Y-You want a vacation? Ha!"

The female laughed and laughed, her eyes immediately closing. Nick blinked dumbly and could only watch on with a raised brow, as her face quickly contorted into a look of a light-headed, chortling jest. Her paw made a tight fist, and she lamely banged it on the top of the desk beside her. The geeky rabbit hit the table beside her one, two, three times. The tiny ache from the table caused the tiny woman to chuckle some more, as a curt noise of pain escaped her lips. Heaving in and out, the breathless bunny tried to suck in a burst of some much-needed air. Nick only stared.

"T-That's a good one!" The rabbit successfully continued to stutter through her mirth. Eventually, the mammal managed to open her orbs, glancing up to meet his emerald eyes happily. An exceedingly bright beam of buck teeth showed in his direction, and her purple gems sparkled fondly, "Y-You're a c-comedian, Wilde. T-Taking a vacation? Ha-Ha!"

Nick moved a hand to say something, but placed it down by his side, choosing to unpretentiously watch on and enjoy the girl's short moment of joviality. The fox was warmed by the sound of her winded snickering, causing him to send a discreetly fond smile. The noise was like bubbling music; curiously enough, it was nice to be the one who made her laugh and grin, even if it was over things that he did not entirely understand. A rush of pride unexpectedly swept through him.

While the bunny continued to hoot, the sound of grumbled yells came from the room next door.

"Knock it off, we're trying to play video-games in here!"

"Nu-uh, I'm trying to sleep! You're the one gaming in here!"

Judy halted, snorting uncontrollably. The unexpected call had her throwing up a paw to her mouth in an attempt to quell her noises to a thin, controlled list of muffled laughter, and she physically shook from the exertion.

Focusing on her exultant features, Nick stared for an excruciatingly long moment, bemusedly taking in her dramatic reaction. Then, the fox rose an easy brow in _much_ needed question.

Carelessly grinning through his understandable confusion, Nick blew an overstated breath. Lying on the bed, he bared his canines in a blatant smirk. Throwing the pair of red-furred arms crisscrossed behind his head, the fox freely probed, "Um, Carrots… what the hell was that?"

At Nick's question, Judy held up a sudden finger, breathlessly asking for a quick moment. The mammal said nothing but gazed fondly out of the corner of his lashes, as the helpless bunny swiftly used the same hand to wipe away at the tears that had escaped through her laughter. The woman took in a single calming, finalizing breath. Her iridescent eyes dried at the edges. Thoroughly tear free, the gray rabbit sniffled lightly and showed a striking grin. The girl tilted her head a second time, as she swiveled her head to fully regard him, and a small fluttering sensation erupted in Nick's chest. Nevertheless, as always, the fox in question gave her a sardonic look to which she crinkled her nose playfully at him. He immediately gave a dramatic sigh.

Wily placing the fox's phone on the comforter beneath him, Nick changed his position to where he was leaning his back against the wall and determinedly crossed his arms in front of himself. He spread his legs out in both directions, facing Judy head-on, since he was unconcerned about propriety. In the back of his mind, the male felt like laughing; it would have been a lie if he said that he cared about how he acted around his friend. There was no reason to put up a facade or a perfected persona. There was only one him, and the only person the ex-conman needed to be was himself. A kind but humorously mischievous fox. He was totally, unapologetically _Nick_ whenever he was around her, and his friend accepted him, faults and all. The idea of that, in itself, was utterly freeing, and because of Judy's light, on many days, the fox would find himself starting to feel like a young kit again, wholly unaware of the many horrors in the world. That is, until he would ultimately – and quite somberly – remember.

However, that is not to say that it was _absolutely_ terrible. Having the chance to get lost in her gorgeous – though extremely oblivious – eyes was a surefire cure for any of the fox's blues. For her, the male was thankful. The little doe was his lucky charm. She chased away the darkness and his fears. She was the cure to every bad thought the fox had, and he flourished when he was by her side. The hare was able to make him become the best version of himself, especially whenever he was gifted the privilege to see his reflection in those sweet, lovable, and serenely beautiful and charmingly compassionate eyes. Aw, crap.

God, Nick was in deep. He was so inexplicably, irrevocably, incurably deep. The fox loved being in her presence. Contentment would always fill him at the thought of the little bunny smiling in his memories. She was his rock. The pair's relationship was amazingly fun and, at times, oddly gentle. It was nice to be cared about for a change, and the fact that she understood him better than anyone else was enough to fill him with a well-received warmth. The bunny was the only creature in his life whom he truly, undeniably, and undoubtedly cared for. Her treasured friendship was all that he had, to be honest, that… moderately terrified him. To lose her now would have been devastating.

Sure, the Nicholas Wilde from nine months ago would not have cared. Err, not at the beginning of the partners' little adventure, anyway, but he was a different man now. At this point, the Nick he used to be, the Nick that he _began_ to be when he turned first twelve and started to swindle things from unsuspecting prey, was but a hollow, deceitful shadow of himself. It was shameful, but in some ways, the fox did not regret his past. There were moments he wished had turned out better, but the outcome was what eventually led him to this moment where he got to meet Judy and her him. Where they got to talk and be friends, and a care for one another forever grew. In the end, hidden in the furthest reaches of his mind, the fox believed that he did not deserve it, her loving and complete attention. Still, he loved it.

Nick Wilde adored her. He cherished her, celebrated her, and he absolutely one-hundred percent freaking loved it!

Behind him, the sound of heated muttering entered his pointed ears. The sound was like music to his whetted appendages, and the fox mentally relished it. The two black tips of his ears twitched in the direction of the wall; the constant back and forth was amusing but comforting. Out of all the unknowns in the world, the simple noise of the brash neighbors next-door was one of the few consistencies in his life. Bless you sharp hearing skills. Hearing the utterances always seemed to stir something within him that the fox could not entirely identify. Why? Well, the answer was simple.

Nick loved the sound of their voices, because every time the suave mammal got to hear them, it meant that he was in Judy's apartment. The only place where the old sap of a fox was looking at Judy and talking to Judy. A room where it was just him and her, and he did not have to worry about anything bad happening. The lucky rabbit was like a lively, bouncing gift in living form.

Judy was a bright light. Drinking her in every day, Nick would cleanse himself of any plagues. The fox would grin and joke and laugh in the beautiful reflection of her eyes, and then eagerly consume the thankful effects of the bunny's calming and endearing presence. He would mentally engrave an image within his mind – like the time he managed to make her laugh the hardest that day, or the sweet grin she gave him as they drove, and the way she touched his arm when he went to pay for her lunch out of adamant protest – his forest green orbs would They seemed to subconsciously follow her during the duo's daily patrols whenever she was not looking in his direction. Looking at her like this, the shrewd devil got to see many sides to his lovely little Carrot. Although, rudely enough, the one side which seemed to catch his attention the most, besides her charming sense of never-ending humanity, was her _very_ attractive backside. It was thick and plump. It was delicious and curvy in all the right places, and the way her tail sometimes flickered like a cute little cotton ball – the thought of bopping it would send him into a fit of giggles which would always be met by the twitching of Judy's ears and an utterly confused look from his partner. He would instantly straighten up at her gaze, but not before putting on a blatantly guilty smile and allowing a melodramatic shrug. She would only twitch her nose, a thin muddled frown settling upon her brow, before she would go back to doing whatever it was that she was previously doing.

It was then that Nick's dark eyes would always go back to watching her white cotton ball tail. The way it would lightly flicker along with her movements was mesmerizing. Sometimes, he would almost lose himself in the image of its small, perky fluffiness; ugh, it was just so damn cute! The poor fox always had an immense love for soft fluffy things. He often associated the stuff to cotton candy, which was definitely a favorite food of his as a child. Even as an adult, he could probably eat the delicious sugary substance every day for the rest of his life. Idly, way back in the far reaches of his mind, the male would wonder how Judy's tail tasted. Not that he wanted to eat it. The tall fox was merely curious, and curiosity was a trait which often lead to dangerous consequences. Nevertheless, Nick was immensely clever and inventive. This meant he was safe from his curiosities. Right?

Even if Judy had no idea about his moderate adoration for her, it was okay to observe her from afar, to gaze softly and sometimes a bit heatedly in her direction when she was not looking… right? Oh, god he was such a perverted creep. It was on those days that the fox would wearily shake his head and force his orbs to stay concentrated forward. He was the oblivious bunny's best friend, confidant, and partner in action. He could not look at his partner that way! Besides, he did not like her that way. She was just a friend. No; a kind, caring, funny, energetic, athletic, intelligent, lovable, and weirdly delectable friend. Ugh.

Nick's heart would get sick just thinking about all of her good qualities at once. The enamored fox could have went on forever simply listing all of the things that he enjoyed about his cute little Carrot. Such things as her big, expressive heavenly orbs and the tic of her dainty pink nose. Her saccharine but cheeky-ass grin was a killer, and just imagining the adorable picture of her cute wittle fwippy-fwoppy ears… Eh-hem. Err, no. There was _no_ reason for him to think about those thinks. Those were simply facts about Judy, things that everyone thought, and the fox had no business daydreaming about her during the day. He had no cause for wondering just what he could do to make her body react to him. What he could do to gain her attention, as he would slyly tightrope along the line; a hop of a leg, a spasm of a tail, a jerk of a muzzle. The annoying older fox – it only by three years, he would begrudgingly have to remind her – had no business thinking about the possibilities. Yet the cursed fox could not help it. All of it was so… so cute! Everything about that damn artful bunny was cute! From the tips of her ears, to the edges of her toes, she was overly cute and amazingly cute. Her level of cuteness was so wonderfully high, it was literally in the freaking _sky_.

Wow, Nick was immensely lame. Just the simple thought of Judy had the capability to send him on a feeling of cloud nine. The sentiment was exceedingly embarrassing yet at the same time it was not. Truthfully, the mood was incredible. No, wait. Purely _Judy_ was incredible. She was an angel. She was, as the saying goes, the whole kit and caboodle. God, the fox was so lucky to have her as a best friend and confidant. Idly, in the far reaches of his mind, the fox whispered in moderate regret that it was too bad that he could never be anything more to the fiery lapin than a simple friend; not that the recognized bachelor was interested in ever having a romantic relationship, of course. In the end, the male was okay with that. He honestly was… for the most part.

Forcing the butterflies to land, Nick wordlessly waggled his eyebrows, cheekily throwing them up in a repeated motion. Judy delivered him an unconvinced stare. Afterwards, the fox went on to effortlessly tossing his phone up into the air over and over again. He airily caught the device within his significantly greater paws, flinging the cellphone up once more. His voice came out as an affectionate jeer, "All I _said_ was that we should take a vacation, Carrot. I mean, we've been at this job working together for like, what, _nine months_ now? I say it's about time for us to just take a well-deserved break, and kick back and relax. You know, we could find the local pool. Maybe take the train somewhere new."

Straightaway, Nick's face revitalized like the sun, and he cheered, "Hey, we could even visit that environmentalist club again! You know, there one where everyone was naked?"

"Ew!" Judy cried, quickly ducking to hide her head behind the back of her chair in fake horror, "C'mon Nick, please don't remind me!"

"Aw, c'mon Carrot," An evil, extremely sneaky grin settled over his sharp canines, "I think it would be fun. No. Wait. Yeah, I was right. It would definitely be fun."

"Um, no," Judy rapidly deadpanned before he could get more of a blush out of her and chuckled, dubiously balancing a hand against her hip. She leaned toward him, widening her eyes comically in the swivel chair, before made them normal their size and continued, "Yep. Still no. I don't _want_ to take a vacation."

The whine in her voice almost made him feel like cursing. Dammit! Why did his Carrot always have to be so stubborn?

"I am married to my job, Nick. I have nothing else to do. Plus, I have nowhere to go," she offhandedly continued, unaware that he was not even listening to her. His mind agitatedly spoke.

 _Am I hearing this? C'mon Carrot, are you really_ _ **this**_ _adamant about being a police officer? Do you really not need a rest?! Just a couple of days, please! That is all I want-_

Judy was still on her short tangent, animatedly gesturing with her hands. Noticing how Nick was watching her – though he actually just stared right through her – the bunny reached up to dramatically pull at her ears, brought them down around her face, and her jaw dropped downwards in mock horror. She then threw out her paws in his direction, forming her fingers into a literal handgun. Nick stared past her, as the hare made a few 'pew-pew' motions, pulling on a proud smirk, before she elegantly blew at the nonexistent, imaginary smoke coming off her fingers. She took an exaggerated bow, her lips once again going to move, and Nick's mind continued to think in tad annoyance-

 _Just look at her. She's so adorable, yet now all she can do it keep talking and talking… I mean, I love hearing her talk and watching her speak. Wow, her face is so energetic right now. Oh, and she's still cute as hell, but c'mon cottontail! Live a little, will ya?_

Nick wanted a vacation. The fox desperately needed a break. He wanted to have a couple of weeks off where he was free to do whatever he wished; provided, he had his little pet rabbit with him. The pair were pretty much inseparable at this point. The male wanted to be able to lay out in the warmth of the sun with her, maybe see her in a cute swimsuit, and hopefully an even cuter small two-piece. Days where he did not have to worry about chasing after some hard-bitten criminal or discovering clues to another missing person case. It would be awesome to not have to face the possibly certain death, at least for a few days. The mammal was almost positive that, at the pool, his day would not end with him getting shot up on the block by a random member of an unreliable gang. A quick, heartstoppingly solid bullet that would graze his shoulder or shoot straight through him out of cold blood.

Nick felt a heated wave of panic. The fox floundered in his mind, as he hastily stuttered out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Well, what about your parents? Don't you want to see them?"

Judy paused; the rabbit stared straight at him. Instantly meeting his panicked orbs, she intellectually faltered herself. The speech that she had given about how much she loved saving people and the purely amazing, brilliant rush of heart pounding adrenaline that she would suddenly feeling coursing through her paws, down from the very pads of her feet up to the tallest points of her ears, was startlingly washed away. The blunt force of the fox's suggestion was strong, almost infinitely strong, and it forced the female to instantly backpedal. Her thoughts curled around herself, making her take an unconscious step back.

She sent a warry glance in Nick's direction; the fox felt his shoulders sag a little. Maybe this was not the best way to get her to understand, to make her give in. It would have been nice to have her completely bow down to his will for once, but the male rapidly regretted ever mentioning anything. The look in her eyes was virtually heartbreaking.

After a muted moment, Judy eventually mumbled a soft, "Of course I would."

Nick gazed quite stricken into her sights, noting the sheen entering them. He gaped in visible remorse, throwing up a hesitant paw, as she began to worriedly fumble with her own.

"I-I love seeing my family, Nick. I miss them a lot, and the fact that I haven't seen them in eight months… well… i-it could tear me apart if I… if I-"

At this juncture, the unexpectedly mournful lagomorph began to sniffle, and Nick moved forward on impulse. The fox took in a deep breath, throwing his arms protectively around her middle, and tenderly whispered, "Shh, shh. I'm sorry. Don't cry. I'm sorry I made you cry."

Sniffling again, Judy persisted to tear up from under him, allowing herself to wallow in his taut embrace. She took in a few stuttered gasps for air, and the bunny physically shook in his hug. Still, she did not listen to what he was saying. It was a trait that the two of them apparently sometimes shared, "I-I'd be lost… i-if I didn't have someone here to keep me company. Thank you."

"Thank you?" the fox heard himself doubtfully repeating. He reached up to softly brush down at the fur on her head, "Why? Uh, Carrots, I just made you _cry_! If anything, I'm one of the most horrible, terrible animals on the planet and-"

"You're not horrible," came Judy's firm reply. The rabbit was finished with her unexpected crying spell, and she now gazed unwaveringly up at him. Unreservedly surprised, Nick scanned down the form of his muzzle and regarded her stare. A smirk edges at the corners of her mouth, "Now, you may be terrible, but that's more so your jokes than anything else."

"Ha-ha," Nick let out a sarcastic laugh, but he somehow managed to hug her even closer, "You're a freaking comedian, Carrots."

She giggled, moving to throw her arms around his waist to give him a tight squeeze. "Nope! I'm just your friendly neighborhood cop! Although, with how you work, you'd think that the lines in the force were blurred a bit."

Nick blinked. The fox mock glared over her shoulder before amusedly pulling back to send his best friend a conical look. He affectionately placed a paw over her shoulder and airily chuckled, "Hardy-har. Very funny. Wow, was that harsh. Who knew that bunnies could be so utterly and totally cruel?"

Judy grinned, turning to raise her shoulder a little in his direction. She looked over at him with a pair of half-lidded eyes and tilted her head mischievously.

"Perhaps, my little dumb fox, there is something you did not know about me. _I_ am not your average, everyday bunny, Nick Wilde."

" _Because I am_ _ **your**_ _bunny,"_ the fox mentally wished she would say, but he held his tongue. The odd, soberly flirtatious wink that the female gave him at the end of her statement was not missed by him, and he openly gawked. He ogled her, as the doe completed her one-eighty spin away from him to return to her chair. The rabbit smirked, somehow knowing that she had the upper hand even if she had no idea why. Nevertheless, she found it downright hilarious.

Nick shook his head in order to clear his thoughts. In some ways, this was too much for him to handle. The fox fell disgracefully back into the mattress behind him, wholly uncaring, and the bed sent a curt creaking noise throughout the room. Blinking a few times, the fox eventually forced a semi-transparent grin. The edges of his smile wavered, while he attempted to fight off the inexplicable urge to blush under his fur. Still, the weight of it seemed to pacify Judy. However, the usually in control fox felt like running away. The male felt like dashing off to his _own_ bedroom, hiding under the covers, and stuffing his face in his pillow… if only to have the privacy to be able to fanboy in peace. She was just too damn cute! Not to mention so damn fluffy. Delightfully fluffy. His fluffy little Carrot.

For not the first time in his life, Nick felt the overwhelming need to yell into the comforts of his arm fur. Judy was distracting and alluring. Plus, she always smelled nice. Her cologne was an elegant fresh mixture of wildflowers and carrot cake that made her scent wildly sweet. It was delicious, sometimes mouthwatering, and on the male's weakest days – mainly when the partners were too busy figuring out a case to eat – the fragrance would coerce him into accidentally giving her an unintentional sniff. Or two. Occasionally, his knees would start to go weak, but he would never fall. He would merely throw a casual arm over her shoulders, skillfully steadying himself without her knowledge. Nonetheless, much to his own chagrin, the fox was caught every time due to the bunny's fantastic hearing skills. The ears would catch every movement, each minute shuffle, and the hare would turn toward him, swiftly picking up on his unease. She would meet his green eyes, then say nothing; a tad smile would spread across her lips. This was her only hint of a reaction, before she would continue partaking in whatever business she was currently handling. Nick liked how she would say nothing. Gosh, he liked her so much. The fox was beginning to like her better than cotton candy.

Screwing up his face a bit, Nick eventually managed to speak. The male gave Judy an imploring look, as he slowly murmured, "The city will still be here when we get back, Carrots. Zootopia will be fine for a few days. Our coworkers are some of the best predators in the world, so they can handle whatever comes their way. Plus, we would only be gone for a couple of days. A week at the most, if that is what you want. Carrots, you said you wanted to see your parents, right?"

An unsure hum left Judy's lips, but she did not disagree with Nick. The fox was correct; the bunny could not lie and say that she had not said it, when she clearly just did. Still, if the woman ever cared to deny it, she knew that Nick would not push the issue after witnessing her tears. Truthfully, she really did miss her parents. Zootopia was about a twelve hour train ride from the small country town of Bunnyburrow, which meant that there was never much time for Judy to visit her family. Sure, it was nice to be able to see their sun-kissed, glowing bucktoothed grins during their daily conversations on Muzzletime. Plus, her siblings were absolutely adorable, especially whenever they yelled across the family farm attempting to fight for the phone, begging for a minute of her attention. The sight would make her giggle fondly.

It was a good thing that Judy and her parents each had unlimited internet through their prospective phones. Yet, the feeling was not the same. It was corrupted; blurry. The relation's conversations were often delayed due to a wavering signal. The smiles through the screen on her phone were slightly waned; the exchanges were not nearly as personal as the family's interactions could be. Hugging and touching – being able to look at her siblings from across a huge buffet of various foods – that was what she missed. A lengthy distance was laid out between the related bunnies, Judy and her family.

The idea of that would leave a hollow longing in Judy's heart, and it hurt. God, did the emotion hurt. It tore at her resolve, and some nights the swell would become so powerful that even the resilient hare would tear up, resignedly throwing herself facedown into her pillow. At times, it was lonely in her apartment. In the pillow's gentility, the coney would silently wish that her parents were with her. She would wish for the chance to be able to witness the energetic forms of her siblings, all 275 of them, come rushing through the only door to her apartment, audibly bellowing over one another, as they tried to tell her what they had been up to recently. What they were into; what they disliked. How school was that week. The bugs that they chased around in the ever-growing carrot fields that day. Alas, the rabbit's hopefulness was impossible. This is when she would wish for someone else to be beside her, specifically a certain geeky but suave fox, though she would never admit it. She refused to call her friend whenever she became a juddering sobbing mess, because it was always during the late hours of the morning, when no one else was awake, that she would weep. The stubborn cottontail would not wake Nick for something as trivial as her often fickle emotions. Judy thought herself to be better than that.

Honestly, it was a fool's wet dream to imagine the sight of all of her family one day making the prolonged travel to Zootopia; no matter how much she loved the thought of showing off her beloved city. There would have been no space in her apartment for them to sleep, and all of the motels in Zootopia were only allowed to mammals with a wallet full of hearty green stuff. Even the freaking train tickets were extremely overpriced and far too expensive for a famer's budget… But an officer who patrolled in one of the largest cities in the world would have the money to make the distance. Any mammal with that category of position would be able to afford the pricey transportation pass. It made sense, particularly when they would have all of the needed funds already saved up. That is, if the officer was like Officer Hopps.

Judy blinked back the bright realization. Shaking her head, the bunny stiffened her shoulders and took in a calming breath, steeling her emotions. The bunny truly wanted to protect the town that she now called home. The downtrodden officer, in all conscience, cared about the Zootopia and its inhabitants. From Predators, to prey, to naturalist clubs, Zootopia had everything. It was the one and only city in the world that was known for being a place where anyone could be anything. A fox could be an elephant; a bunny could be a cop. If the person had the heart to never give up on their dreams, then they could reach the stars. The possibilities were endless.

Closing her eyes for a moment, the bunny opened her lids and gave Nick a tentative but primarily settled expression. A long silence ensued, until she finally whispered a small, "Okay."

"Huh?" Nick perked at the bunny's answer. He questioned dubiously, "What was that flatfoot?"

Judy allowed a tiny groan, but she eventually smiled. The feel of it slowly filled her orbs. True, her beam was pained at the edges, but as the thought of finally getting to see her parents face to face for the first time since the pair's initial case became more of a certainty within her mind, a newfound excitement was gradually building in them. One that made Nick stare but quickly look away, as he tried to not let himself get fully wrapped up in it. A soft, tender leer worked its way across his muzzle.

Judy thrust her foot outward to blithely jab at his ankle. The bunny stuck out her tongue, enjoying the fact that all of her previous fears had seemed to vanish, and reveled in the moment, as Nick permitted a fake, melodramatic scream of agony. The dumb but immensely intelligent fox grinned willingly through his theatrical behavior. Then, the male bent down to sympathetically tend to his non-injured appendage. He started to moan out in agony, while his other hand shot in her direction, lightly popping her on the wrist. Immediately, the female lobbed an exceedingly haughty expression. Letting out a low wail of anger, the bunny kicked at him a second time. She hit him with just a little more force before erupting into an additional round of irrepressible giggles.

Nick laughed along with her, his bubbling barks naturally loud and oh, so beautifully honest in the sunny aura of her presence. He leered over at her with an affectionate turn of the lips, and he jokingly probed, "Ugh. Why are you being so mean to me, Carrots? God, you'd think that I stole your boyfriend or something. Need to get revenge on me?"

"Well, duh. Obviously," Judy easily replied, endearingly spinning herself around in the chair with an accepting grin in his direction. Nick watched as her lips widened every time the chair spun around to face his direction as she twirled. She let out a tiny cheer, before saying, "I thought they said foxes were clever. No, but of course I have to. Shouldn't I exact revenge on anyone who stops me from going to work in the morning?"

Nick brightened and spoke, "Really?"

"Yep, that's why I kicked you. Be glad I like you, otherwise I am one mean bunny."

"You?" Nick laughed, "Being mean? Now, I would definitely like to see that."

"Oh?" Judy chuckled and pulled herself to a speedy stop. The lapin winked again and threw on a playful flirtation, knowing that it would bring nothing to fruition and teased, "I'm sure there's a lot that you'd like to see, huh, Nicky-kit."

What? Two winks?

The fox in question could only blush out of shocked confusion, as she got up from the chair and came to sit beside him on the bed. Smiling in the very friendly that way she was used to sending his way, the bunny placed a well-meaning hand over his leg and peeped up into his emerald hues. The fox felt defenseless; he was stricken by the closeness of his companion, and the steady warmth of her paw firmly placed against his pants was sending him into an emotional tizzy. The ex-conman was trapped within his head. Thoughts too jumbled to comprehend flooded his senses and he floundered for a response. Wait, when had the male's breath stopped? Oh no, he needed air.

The poor fox was totally breathless, as Judy happily questioned, "So, what will you be doing during _your_ vacation?"

The rabbit's little singsong jolted Nick from the hellish war waging within his head, and the fox's muzzle stumbled awkwardly over his lips, his words coming out as a fumbling stutter. He tried to give her an intelligible answer.

"N-No idea. M-Maybe, um… pool? C-City pool. L-Lots of… um… home. H-Hanging, err, um, at home. S-Some movies. My phone. A-At home."

"So," Judy's brow rose in a mixture of confusion and worry, "You _won't_ be visiting anyone while you're off, then?"

Feeling the heat of her hand on his leg, Nick blew out a lurid gust of air, flinging a paw to the back of his head in embarrassment. He stuttered again.

"M-Me? Pfft. N-Nah."

Judy gave him a long frown. She rose a brow, fully knowing his personality, and Nick caved under the pressure. The male bent over at the waist with her hand still on his leg. He pulled in a palliative breath and forced his heart to stop pounding in his ears. He let it escape with a soft sigh.

"No," the fox ultimately admitted, "Besides Finnick, I have no one to spend time with. I don't have a family, and I know our coworkers, but I'm not close to any of them like… like how I am with you."

"Oh, Nick," Judy heard herself say, as she began to softly rub the spot where her paw sat, "Won't you be lonely? I don't have to go-"

Straightaway, Nick sent her a disbelieving glare, pointedly throwing his head up and countering, "Do you really think I would do that to you, Carrots? If so, then you are a very dumb bunny."

"Oh," Judy was at a swift loss for words. Pausing to ponder over her own thoughts, the rabbit continued to idly move her paw against Nick's leg; over and over again, the mammal gently rubbed it in a motion meant to comfort his mind. Then, she halted her actions. A new somewhat exciting thought struck her, and Nick flickered. The fox noticed the halt in her rhythmic strokes but said nothing. Instead, he merely gifted her with a curious look, peering down at her over the length of his muzzle.

Taking in a short breath and smiling wistfully to herself, Judy finally mentioned, "It's too bad you're staying here. Just know that you are welcome to come with me to Bunnyburrow if you'd like."

Nick startled. He could not believe what he was hearing, and his eyes widened comically.

Judy glanced over to the side and offhandedly continued. A thin grin showed through her uncaring façade, "I'm sure my parents would love to meet you. Also, the blueberries are in full bloom. All of the little balls of blue you could eat. And wow, you should taste our carrots. Our veggies are some of the greatest in the nation. Plus, my mom's blueberry tarts are delicious!"

Caught up in the whirlwind of her kind words and happy promises, the fox's chest filled with a thick warmth, and he roughly coughed, "You sly bunny. I knew you loved me."

Judy laughed, while he said, "Seriously though, if I knew you were going to act like a brochure, I wouldn't have said anything. I mean, my schedule is going to be _so_ busy. Still, I guess I _could_ travel with you to little ol' town of Bunnyburrow just to see what all the fuss is about since you love it so much. I have been kind of craving those one of a kind blueberries."

"Right?" Judy giggled, already losing herself in his humor, "The Chief isn't gonna be happy when he hears about this; although, once we're gone he has no choice. Plus, I don't think he would ever dare the fire the savior of Zootopia and her faithful sidekick."

"Faithful?" Nick humorously parroted, "Sidekick? Oh, you've gotten me all wrong, Cottontail. I have never been, nor will I ever be, one of those labels."

As Judy scoffed, she reached for his hand and tactfully pulled him up from his seat on the bed. The bunny allowed Nick to hastily grab his phone. Then, she led him in the direction of the door to her apartment. The shorter mammal lightly shoved him into the hallway and stuck her head mockingly outside the crack in the door.

"Pffft, whatever. You've been over here for far too long, Wilde. It's time for you to go home. Aw, don't be sad, my big baby; I'll be seeing you sometime tomorrow, fox."

"I'm not sad," the fox stubbornly edged, though he smiled grandly.

Judy gave him another wink from her hiding spot behind the door and refuted, "There is no use in lying, Nick. You know you love me."

The fox bit at the inside of his cheek, loving how his partner liked to throw his banter back in his face whenever she wanted nowadays. It was oddly attractive, and it sent the fox's heart into a blazing flurry of excitement. The look in her eyes – cheeky and full of utmost care – was downright endearing. The male could stare into her purple hues for a plethora of hours if she ever chose to let him.

"Maybe I do love you."

Nick could not stop the words from leaving him. They were instinctive – the word love was always on his tongue when he was in Judy's presence – but the innocent honesty of his statement sent the fox into a mental panic. He stopped cold. His hands became a shaky tremble, as he peeked weakly past his insecurities to see her reaction. He was surprised to see the noticeably pleasing affect it seemed to have over the female's overall demeanor.

Judy beamed jovially. She tilted her head to the side and met his gaze. Her large eyes sparkled with a loving gleam, while she moved to place a quick paw over the lock of her door. The bunny put on a thoughtful expression, though her eyes gave her trickery away. The girl was ecstatic.

"Hmm," Judy's spirited lips seemed to leer skillfully through the crack of her door, "Thank you. That's nice to know, Officer Wilde. Maybe I love me, too."

Judy promptly closed the door with a quick goodbye and a rushed promise to text him in the morning. As Nick walked away, he bypassed the elevator. It was currently out of order, and that forced him to have to take the many stairs which led down to the bottom floor of Judy's apartment. A befuddled but chipper music fueled him, as he gaily hopped into the front seat of his car. It was parked on the curve, and he was proud to say that he had given Judy many rides in his vehicle. She did not need to buy one when she had him, right? When her best friend was also her best and _only_ partner – not to mention her favorite, Nick perceptually cheered to himself – there were many benefits. With benefits, however, come many consequences. Penalties like awkward touches and tension-fueled stares. Beautiful delicious confusion. Though for tonight, the fox categorically could have lived without it.

The bunny's offhanded joke was the last thing that Nick thought about for the next handful of hours. Although he would never admit it to Judy… he thought about it hard. The fox thought about the meaning of her words harder than he had ever thought about anything before.

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	2. Painful Travels

**Another chapter! For some reason, I'm pushing out chapters right now like a bunch of jack rabbits... E-hem. Anyway, here is more fluff. And now some crack, apparently. Have fun cackling! Nothing in this belongs to me, except for how stupid everything in this chapter is. Enjoy~**

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"Officer Hopps!"

The ferocious, angry yell of Chief Bogo erupted from the speaker of Judy's cellphone, and the bunny in question quickly drew the offensive voice away from her ears. Taking in a sharp breath, her orbs winced at the sound, and her ears drooped a little. She wearily eyed the smirking fox beside her. He winked, silently but proudly rocking back and forth beside her, as she suffered through the heated conversation. The two were sitting thigh to thigh on a sure-to-be lengthy train ride to Bunnyburrow. Beneath them, laid the duo's bags; just a suitcase and a small carry on each.

Nick shrugged uselessly. He visibly grinned when the distraught rabbit let out a loud sigh, physically turning away to give him the cold shoulder. A second later, the fox placed a laughing hand over her it, lightly patting at her arm as if to say "you can do it." His actions also said, "Thank god I'm not you right now."

Chief Bogo continued on; his voice spoke in a threatening glare, "I swear to god Hopps, if you don't come in- Where are you and Officer Wilde?"

"That is… _kind_ of a long story," the bunny slowly muttered. The female looked away from nothing at all, idly talking, as a guilty edge entered her voice. Once again moving in her seat, she brightened and her worry instantly vanished. She slyly eyed the fox beside her, watching him closely. She stared at the mammal, as he started to not listen to their conversation, innocently moving a paw upward to scratch at his ear unconcernedly. Taking in a quick breath, she skillfully edges, " _However_ , Officer Wilde is here with me if you'd like to hear everything from him."

"Huh?" Nick sputtered, unknowingly gaping, as Judy shoved the phone into his ear. The male's larger paws instinctively closed around it, before the fox realized what was going on. His emerald eyes widened in fear, as she smirked proudly.

Nick was absolutely sure that Chief Bogo had heard him. Now, the fox was in for it; the chew down of the century. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god n-

"Wilde!" the grumpy buffalo yelled directly into the fox's ears. The pointed appendages bat forward instantaneously, and he shrunk in mild pain at the sound of his booming tone.

An uneasy laugh left Nick's muzzle, "H-Hey Chief! What's up?"

"Why aren't you and Officer Hopps at your post?!" the officer yelled, gruffly asking, "Also, why didn't the two of you clock in this morning?"

"Well, ya know," Nick awkwardly managed, as he threw a hand behind his head. His words came out with a nervous lilt, as he admitted, "We kind of couldn't, actually."

Beside the fox, Judy giggled girlishly. She chuckled harder when he turned to give her a hardened but not evil glare. The bunny was not worried; Nick was irritated and caught off guard, sure, but he was never mean. She had every confidence in her friend that he would never hurt her.

"Oh?" the Chief questioned, his words sounding surprised but suspicious, "And why is that?"

"Um, we were previously engaged," the fox weakly responded, not quite ready to admit his mistake, to which the cape buffalo abruptly laughed. Then, a profoundly rare air of amusement coated his reply.

"So, that's how it is, eh Wilde?"

"What?" Nick helplessly questioned. The fox mentally paused, swiftly eyeballing the bunny next to him in mild confusion. The male was suddenly grateful that the woman was not listening to their conversation anymore. Instead, the lapin had her head positioned completely against the glass of the window in front of her, breath fogging up the window repeatedly, as she joyfully took in the passing scenery.

Nick watched her, as sharp spring entered her ears; the rabbit's lips opened in slight awe at what she saw, and her orbs gleamed brightly from the light of the early morning sky that lit the landscape. It shown in her eyes. At the back of his mind, the fox could not help but find it immensely enchanting how the prey loved to stare across the widespread, tall grassy plains that seemed to roll on for miles just beyond the city's walls. The prey was enthused by the vegetation, as she placed a paw longingly against the glass. Her senses took in everything she saw, and her stare was hungry for the outdoors, while the fox took in everything about her. Yep. Everything about the fox's Carrot was worthy of his attention.

However, his mind fought, it _had_ been a long time since Nick last witnessed the countryside for himself – at least seven years, the male believed – but the predator was much too preoccupied at the moment to give them any thought. Oh, yeah. The conversation.

It was at that moment that Chief Bogo sniggered deeply.

"Oh, you know," the older male spoke with a cryptic but sneaky air, "A _previous engagement_. Now, you listen to me kid. I have been in the police business for many, many years, Wilde. Twenty-six to be exact, so don't you think that I haven't heard my fair share of excuses, because I have – so many, in fact, that I could probably name a hundred right off the bat – but c'mon Wilde. I'm not a dumb buffalo. We all know."

Nick blinked.

"What do you all know?" the fox hollowly whispered. For some reason, the male was afraid to find out. A wave of cold rushed over him in his puzzlement.

Chief Bogo did not think anything of Nick's question, and he airily responded, "Oh, you know; about you and Officer Hopps. How you like her. Everyone in the whole damn department knows about your relationship."

"Woah, what?!"

Nick's startled cry had Judy sharply turning in his direction. The bunny stared with wide eyes, her heart pounding a little at being abruptly pulled from her thoughts. She placed a paw over her racing chest and gawked at Nick with a confused expression. The male in question shrugged his shoulders, mouthed a quick sorry, and waved a noncommittal hand in her direction. When she failed to look away, he rapidly glanced around him, before swiftly standing from his seat and moving across the train car from her, standing by a window and muttering low beneath his breath.

With her face flushing from embarrassment, Judy shook her head at herself and chose not to listen in on their conversation, even if Nick's sudden departure forced her interest to rise to an all-time high; nevertheless, she would never impede on his privacy, but dammit that would not stop her from asking him about it once he came back. She instantly busied herself with looking out the window once more, as her cheeks continued to faintly glow. Her paw remained positioned over her gradually calming heart.

From his place a good ways away from Judy, Nick gave a visible scowl. He stared angrily down at his feet and hastily murmured, "Now, _what_ are you talking about?"

"You and Officer Hopps," the Chief easily joked, and a small clicking sound erupted curiously within Nick's ears, "Hey Clawhauser, guess what? Officer Hopps and Wilde, they're a thing now."

"Oh. My. Goody. Goodness."

The well-known sassy voice of their friend made Nick feel like tossing himself off the train.

"You shut up," Clawhauser continued out of habit, pure disbelief wholly radiating from his desk on the first floor of the police department. His smile was too sharp and toothy for normal work hours.

At the cheetah's words, Chief Bogo only grinned like a devil to himself from his own office. The older bull chuckled into the phone's receiver and quickly said, "I've got Wilde on the other line. This is a three-way."

"Shut up!" came Clawhauser's overly excited repeat, before the cat eagerly yelled, "Nick, Nick! I am so happy for you, you little fox _you_. You and Officer Judy are far too freaking precious and cute together! She is so sweet! I swear, you two deserve each other. Both of you really fit, you know? You click. You're like a sappy romance movie. So, um, where are the two of you right now? I mean, I didn't see you guys come into the office at all this morning, which is really odd, because I always sit at the welcome desk, so I see _everyone_ , which must mean that you didn't. Oh. My. Goodness. I am so excited, and I just can't stop talking! Ah, my little fur babies! My otp! This is my shit! You know, I am so happy. As happy as I was when I heard about the new Gazelle song a couple of days ago. Oh. Wait. Should I stop talking? Should I? I'm sorry, Nick. Okay, I'll stop talking."

"No, no, keep talking," Chief Bogo laughed into the phone.

Visibly, Nick's left eye twitched. Panicked, the fox whipped his head over to stare stricken at Judy's back, as the bunny continued to pay him no mind. She stared out the window, refusing to eavesdrop on their conversation. Thank god for Judy's kindness! Feeling trapped, the male stuttered for a long floundering moment, as he tried to find something intelligent to say. Ultimately, he settled on forcing out the only word that rang like a glaring bell within his head.

"No!" the fox hurriedly cried, before awkwardly lowering his voice, "Clawhauser i-it's not like that, really. W-We're just friends. We just skipped work for the day. That's all."

Chief Bogo airily clicked his tongue in disbelief and repositioned himself in his office. The broad bull idly tapped at the desk in front of himself and chuckled. Then, he sarcastically replied, "Uh-huh. Get this, Clawhauser. You want to know the reason why the two of them didn't come in today? It was because they had a _previous engagement_."

"Oh?" Clawhauser asked in calm surprise. After a short moment, a knowing smirk entered his tone, and he crooned an ambiguous, " _Oh._ "

"Oh?" Nick questioned, whispering with his maniac heart pounding, "W-What do you mean by 'oh'? What is wrong with having a previous engagement? Why are we even having this conversation?"

Chief Bogo sniggered, "Right."

Boyish laughter was heard from either side of the line, and Nick wanted to find a hole to hide in, so no one would ever find him. He flushed scarlet from the weight of their innuendos, a deep red settling under the auburn fur of his cheeks, and he let out a frustrated groan. Cackles ensued within his ear; the tips of his own fell in total annoyance. They flickered when there was a sound of movement from Judy's direction, but she was merely changing position against the window, a small hop in her ears. She stood bent at the waist, continuing to watch out the window with her small cotton ball tail stuck high into the air. It was so cute. The fox had to stop himself from staring directly at her bared tuft of greyish fluff; though, the urge to touch it – to poke it or simply caress and run his fingers through the length of its serene softness – was indeed strong.

Nick had to force himself to concentrate. Letting out a small angry growl, the predator gave a breathy but firm retort, "It's not true, OK? I don't like Judy like that. End of story."

"Sure Jan," Clawhauser replied, drawling out the first word and sniggering openly from his place on the line, "And I don't have spots? Am I right, Bogo, or am I right?"

"I'd high five you right now if it did not mean me having to walk out of my office right now," the chortling Chief automatically replied.

"Air five!" the cheetah cheered, throwing his hand out precariously in front of himself. He paid to mind to the animals giving him concerned looks.

Chief Bogo would never tell anyone, but he also made a small movement as if to meet his predator friend. Instead, the beefy buffalo spoke, "C'mon Wilde. There's no use denying it."

"There's nothing to deny when there's nothing there," Nick wildly admonished.

The fox physically banged his head against a nearby window when Clawhauser began to eerily whisper-sing a romantic song in his ear.

"Sha-la-la-la-la-la, my, oh my! Look at the boy too shy! Ain't gonna kiss the girl-"

"Shut it," Nick threatened.

Suddenly uncaring, Clawhauser easily switched songs. He carefully lowered his tone into an unusual depth and crooned, "Now, I've haaad the time of my lifeeee-"

"No!" Nick almost shouted.

Clawhauser did not miss a beat.

"Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could _just_ _see you_ -"

Nick deadpanned.

"Untrue."

"Tonight. DADADADADA DA DA!" Clawhauser started to yell the piano accompaniment in amusement to which both Chief Bogo and Nick threw a hand over their sensitive ears.

The fox was the first to yell, "Alright! It's true, okay? That's it! Stop it, stop it, stop it."

The kind cheetah stopped on a dime and smiled widely, undeniably and downright proud of himself. The male let out a few last minute titters, snickering childishly into the sleeve of his uniform. He drawled suggestively into the phone, "Now, are we talking about the so-called _previous engagement_ or about you having a thing for your adorable little bunny partner?"

The all-knowing smugness found in Clawhauser's voice had Nick moaning out of self-pity. The fox hated being put on the sport, but more than that, he hated the idea of outing himself, especially when he had no idea of his true feelings. As far as he knew, the male understood that he liked Judy immensely; any mammal with a brain could see that. He liked her equally as a friend and a person. Sure, he liked her appearance both physically and spiritually. He enjoyed her mind, and he thought that she had a lovely heart. Plus, not only were the pair categorically close, but the rabbit and fox were each other's best friend, trusting in one another more than any other animal. Their sort of bond, they had with no one else. It was only them, but they were happy that way. It was like how Clawhauser had not-so-eloquently put it. The two fit like they were pieces from the same puzzle. Although, the duo had no clue why as to why they worked. The pair had previously mentioned the same topic before. They simply performed. They did what they had to do together, and surprisingly, both never tired of being around the other.

Stalking in a short circle, Nick took in a much needed puff of air. He let it out in a low whoosh and painstakingly admitted, "The second one."

He winced, as a happy gasp came from Clawhauser. Chief Bogo snorted from his side of the line but congratulated the shaking fox on finally being able to manage to articulate it through his fat muzzle. When Nick heard that, he audibly tried to cover his tracks. At the moment, the naturally sly mammal felt like the prey to their predator. He was caught, trapped. He was stuttering and fumbling for an escape.

"M-More like, I think it's the second one? I-I mean, I like her. I-It's obvious that I do, but I'm not sure if I… if I like her like that in _that_ kind of way. You know? Do you understand? I mean, what would others say? Sure, it's utterly normal for there to be interspecies relationships nowadays. Still, c'mon guys. It'd be funny, right? A fox and a bunny? I-I mean, get real!"

Even as Nick continued to speak, the fox felt like he was lying. He _knew_ that he was lying. A sense of disappointment edged in the very corners of his voice, as he forced himself to speak. To deny was to save himself from the pain of possibly losing her. When facing the thought of never speaking to her again, he would rather never chance it. The fox knew that the world would not care; it was perfectly okay for the predator to date her in the light of Zootopia's modern integrated society. 10% predator and 90% prey.

Honestly, Nick could not give a rat's ass about any other animal's opinions. In the end, all that mattered to the fox was what Judy thought of him. The male wanted to be good for her; he wanted to be the best fox he could be. Living for her, it was his loving Carrot who mattered. No one else could judge him. No one could touch him with their words or make their thoughts weigh over his conscience, because nothing could get to him, especially whenever he could simply reach out and take her hand. His fingers would clasp around hers; his bunny was firm and steady when she needed to be, and he acted the same way for her. They helped one another through thick and thin. No matter whether the fox held it ever-so gentle or for dear life, his cohort would not pull it away. She would merely accept her companion's touch, revel in it actually, and squeeze his palm gently comfort, willing her aid in that tiny bit of pressure.

A doubtful air settled over the other side of the line, but Nick coerced himself into paying it no mind. He could not think about their thick silence. He could not imagine what they were thinking because to do that, he would subconsciously have to think about Judy, and then he was not sure if he could keep telling himself what he wanted to hear – that everything was fine, that his numbness was good – because the fox was weak, and he was entirely susceptible to his emotions. One wrong though of love and devotion, and there would be no turning back for him. One small admittance to the feeling in his chest, and he could never take it back. Once spoken, it became final, and the finality of it all was what terrified him the most.

Nick hated the finality, because with finality, there was a decision. With a decision, there was a choice to be made. A choice that took two people to decide on, not only him, considering it takes two people to actually be in a real relationship. A mammal could never be in a relationship on their own. It takes two to tango, as the old saying goes. Thankfully, the male tended to stay away from any dance-floors that played salsa music since tangoing is a dangerous, dangerous sport; there is a thin line between grace and utter disaster that one must tread on while in a relationship, and Nick was totally convinced that, once he began tiptoeing, he would trip over himself and fall down, down, down into a hole so deep that Judy would hate him for the rest of his life. The fox could never – would never – chance that.

When the fox finished speaking, he listened to the voices on the other end of the line, but they were oddly silent. Chief Bogo was simply breathing, a quietness to his large exhales, and Clawhauser made no noises of disagreement; however, he secretly held his tongue.

 _Oh, this poor damn fool!_ The cheetah thought to himself, and he placed a large paw over his donut frosted mouth, physically holding it shut. He could not help but feel a little insulted for his bunny friend at the words Nick finished speaking. Did he truly think that? Did he really give Judy so little credit? In her own words, Officer Hopps was not your everyday token bunny. She was _so_ much more than her species, the stereotype of her gender, and her stature. Hell, the freaking bunny cop was probably stronger, lither, and keener than over half of the department's own men! Apparently Chief Bogo seemed to agree with Clawhauser's opinion, since he once believed the bunny to be a just a weak minded feeble shrimp. Both had underestimated her, yet the lapin quickly taught the seasoned officers wrong.

It was Chief Bogo who surprisingly ended the silence. His voice became colder for an unknown reason, and it had Nick physically becoming floored in his spot, "Do you really feel that way, Officer Wilde?"

For the first time in his life, Nick had no idea how to respond. He wanted to lie, but he could not even summon the spirit or pep needed to articulate a fib that would remotely work for his unknown situation. The conversation had stepped into brand new territory for the fox, and the topic had him panicking, mentally feeling as if he needed to flee. The male was unable to find a safe way out of his trap; he swiveled back and forth, as he had no idea where to go. He felt insane, almost as if he were staring up at a sign from Alice in Wonderland that pointed this way, that way, up way, down way, and every other little way. His foot was caught in a trap, his throat was caught in a tight vice. The male felt as if he were stuck among an abandoned forest with no open paths before him. Just he and the bushes, there was no possible way to escape the maze without somehow getting caught by their thorns. One way or another, he would end up a sobbing, hurting, and bleeding mess.

Chief Bogo took Nick's silence with a grain of salt and said, "Well, you can figure that out on your own. It's time for me to go, I guess. There's someone knocking at my door. Have fun with your previous engagement, fox. Be sly, but not too sly. If you catch my drift."

 _Yeah, yeah. We catch it_ , Nick was too dumbstruck to reply. The fox listened with an immediate ball in his throat, as Chief Bogo spoke a curt goodbye and swiftly hung up on his side of the line. After a long tense moment, Clawhauser eventually permitted a low whistle.

"Wow. Um, I guess the Chief must be busy, huh?"

"Shouldn't you be busy, too?" Nick instantly grumbled, a small bit of sarcasm sparking to life beneath his tongue, "What, no clients coming in today? No major criminal cases to solve?"

"Actually, no," came the cheetah's bright reply, "Since you and Officer Hopps began to take on cases, crime has went down, believe it or not. Maybe a lot of people just don't want to have to face the wrath of the fantastic Mr. Fox and his sidekick Bunnylicious. Or perhaps, most of the crime that used to happen, mainly dealt with the original missing persons case. Zootopia just isn't as interesting anymore, since you and Wilde joined the force."

Clawhauser gave a fake, humor filled sigh, before diving headfirst into a new discussion, "Enough about work. So, what _are_ you doing right now? I'm assuming Judy is with you, based on your earlier blatant need to whisper-yell everything, and how you wanted to fervently deny, deny, deny all your _obvious_ feelings for her."

"They're not obvious," Nick heard himself impulsively replying, before the fox quickly sucked in a brisk vacuum of air. He felt like cursing out loud. Dammit! God, the mammal wished that a random bolt of lightning would come and strike him down. He felt like a damn fool. On the other side of the line, Clawhauser let out an earsplitting squeal, his voice giggling and carrying easily through the speaker, causing Nick to pull the phone away from his ear. His own flattened in disgruntlement against his head, "Well, maybe they're obvious. You know what, whatever. You have a job to do, Officer Clawhauser."

"As do you," the intelligent kitty countered, and his voice took on a knowing tone, "Yet here we are."

"…Can you please stop quoting Disney things?"

"I'll stop when you tell me where you are," the amused predator happily sing-songed.

Nick groaned, but he could not help the moderately fond grin on his muzzle, as he said, "Okay, well you can relay this, and _only_ this, to Chief Bogo. Tell him that Officer Hopps and I are taking a week-long vacation from work; just seven days. Tell him that the time off is long overdue, and that surely the _heroes_ of Zootopia deserve a little break, right? Heh. Oh, and we're actually really sorry that the word was so last minute, but the plans were also last minute, and the train was early this morning. Between commuting, ordering tickets, and getting on the train to Bunnyburrow, there just wasn't any time for calling."

Clawhauser gave a quick gasp, "Wait! Did… Did you say Bunnyburrow?"

Nick's heart sunk into his feet, and he paled. The cat did not even give him time to respond, before he was already squealing once more in his earlobes.

"OH MY GOSH! Hold up! You're telling me that you're already going to meet her parents?" the telling way that his voice squeaked at the end was migraine inducing, "Oh ohohoho that is too flipping precious. So, Nick… when is the wedding?"

"Yep, I've gotta go."

"Darn. You haven't proposed yet, huh?" Clawhauser continued, downright grinning.

Nick faked a look around himself and muttered, "Um, we're going through a tunnel-"

"Have ya'll… you know?"

"What?" Nick breathed, now feeling quite scandalous, "Why would you even ask that?"

The incredulity in the fox's voice was answered by his friend's eerie chuckles. The wary male straightened his back, anxiously waiting for the next hazarding inquiry.

"Have you thought of any names for your children?"

"Oho-kay, that is it!" Nick utterly blushed. Taking in a deep breath, the fox was a deep scarlet, as he threw the phone right in front of his mouth and speedily yelled, "No! But if it's a boy, Reese; if it's a girl, Willow. Now bye."

As Nick hung up the call on Clawhauser, a mischievous cackling met his ears. Spanning the distance of at least a hundred miles, the fat cheetah simply beamed, his sharp canines baring with the utmost pride. He easily shook out his spotted shoulders, glancing mysteriously at the lobby around him. Then, he reached in front of himself to stick a thick hand into the small box of donuts beside him, evilly sniggering under his breath. The cat pulled one out, popping it into his waiting jaws. A satisfied, somewhat powdery smile remained, as he picked up the phone beside him and pressed a number that he had definitely gotten used to calling in the past few months.

"Clawhauser," Chief Bogo's gruff voice answered, "What is it you fat cat?"

The kitten in question merely smirked, wiping the clues of his snacking airily on the front of his uniform, "Oh, I just wanted to say how I _know_ there wasn't anyone for you. You wanna know why I know? Because I would have been the one to send them to you. I can see through you, Chief."

"Really now?" replied the amused bull.

Clawhauser only beamed, "Well, of course! Now, let's talk about other things-"

"Gazelle?" The bull asked. There was a new perk in Chief Bogo's voice.

Clawhauser resolutely nodded, "Gazelle."

* * *

 **From now on, the chapters will probably remain to be about this size, so they won't be quite as long as the first chapter, but I hope you guys will stick around with me until the end! Until then, au revoir~**

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